Bai Qingyan’s departure to the prison to see Wang Jianghai was strictly ordered to be kept secret throughout the entire mansion, and especially could not be known by the Grand Princess or Second Madam Liu Shi.

Chun Tao helped Bai Qingyan into the carriage. Originally, she wanted to follow along, but Young Miss had instructed her to find Bai Jinzhi, so Chun Tao could only repeatedly remind Young Miss to be careful and tearfully watch the carriage disappear into the distance.

Inside the carriage, Bai Qingyan closed her eyes, her face pale and bloodless, her fingers caressing Fourth Uncle’s jade pendant, the corners of her eyes moist and red.

She would rather this trip resulted in Wang Jianghai telling her that Fourth Uncle was still alive, imprisoned by Prince Xian or by Wang Jianghai himself, kept as a backup plan.

She would rather Wang Jianghai use Fourth Uncle to coerce her into doing anything, anything at all!

As long as… Fourth Uncle was still alive.

Grandfather must bless them—Fourth Uncle must still be alive!

As long as Fourth Uncle was alive, when Fourth Uncle came to play chess with her again, she would never again find Fourth Uncle’s poor chess skills annoying or be unwilling to play against him. She would patiently accompany Fourth Uncle in chess, and certainly… let Fourth Uncle happily win against her once.

Bai Qingyan’s carriage traveled slowly while Lu Ping rode ahead on horseback to make arrangements at the prison. By the time Bai Qingyan arrived, Lu Ping was already waiting at the prison gates.

Two lonely paper lanterns hung before the prison gates, swaying in the wind. Their ghostly light made the prison’s half-new, half-old gates appear even more forbidding and gloomy.

Lu Ping supported Bai Qingyan, who wore a black cloak with her hood up, as she stepped down from the carriage and walked toward the prison.

In the dark, damp prison, dim oil lamp flames flickered back and forth on the walls. Occasional cries could be heard, making the prison seem even more sinister and frightening.

Wang Jianghai sat cross-legged on moldy-smelling straw, his pale lips dry and cracked, pressed tightly together. He knew his life would not last much longer.

That day when Bai Qingyan rode swiftly toward him, her steed’s hooves trampling over his body, it had injured his heart and lungs. Who would call a physician for treasonous criminals like them?

Now, that Wang Jianghai could still sit cross-legged here was purely through sheer force of will.

No matter what, Wang Jianghai had to save his son.

Young General Wang had humbled himself and with great difficulty begged a bowl of cold water from the jailer, hurriedly bringing it before Wang Jianghai: “Father… drink some water first.”

Several days ago, an arrow had pierced his collarbone. Now the wound had festered and the pain was unbearable, but he couldn’t show it lest his father worry, forcing himself to smile at his father.

Wang Jianghai’s somewhat clouded, bloodshot eyes glanced at his son once, then drank a mouthful of water with his son’s help, saying: “When Princess Zhenguo arrives shortly, no matter what Father says, don’t make a sound. Father will protect you!”

Just as Wang Jianghai finished speaking, they heard footsteps approaching from far to near. He raised his head toward the source of the sound, and before long… he could see Lu Ping supporting a slender figure in a black cloak with a black hood appearing at the prison entrance.

Young General Wang instinctively straightened his body, making a protective gesture toward his father, but Wang Jianghai raised his hand and patted his arm, signaling for Young General Wang to help him stand.

Young General Wang set down the water bowl and supported Wang Jianghai.

Wang Jianghai bit his teeth tightly, breathing with difficulty as he struggled to rise, then knelt before Bai Qingyan and kowtowed, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor: “I pay my respects to Princess Zhenguo!”

Bai Qingyan removed the hood from her head, revealing her sickly pale features.

After just a few days, Bai Qingyan’s complexion was indeed extremely poor. Her face was ghastly pale without a trace of color, and she appeared to have lost weight all around, making her stunningly beautiful features seem even more sharply defined. Those deep, dark eyes… contained restrained sharpness and profound depth, looking down at Wang Jianghai from above.

“Where did you get my Fourth Uncle’s jade pendant?” Bai Qingyan asked.

“In reply to Princess Zhenguo, this was from many years ago during the Northern Border War. I saved the life of the Bai family’s Fourth Master, Bai Qichuan. Fourth Master then gifted me this jade pendant, saying… if one day I had any request… I could bring the jade pendant to the Bai family gates, and he would certainly assist.” Wang Jianghai pressed his head to the ground, kowtowing heavily. “Today, Wang Jianghai presumes to use this jade pendant to request Princess Zhenguo’s presence, knowing that the Bai family honors their word. Even though the Bai family’s Fourth Master is no longer with us, the Bai family, upon seeing this jade pendant, would certainly fulfill Fourth Master’s promise in his stead.”

Bai Qingyan’s hand gripping the jade pendant tightened. It wasn’t that Fourth Uncle was alive, but rather… something Fourth Uncle had given away long ago?

Her heart continued to sink.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes grew even colder: “You certainly understand the Bai family well.”

Wang Jianghai raised his head, his eyes completely red, his throat rolling as he choked back emotion, speaking with an extremely respectful manner: “Wang Jianghai knows his crime of treason deserves death and is unforgivable… I only beg Princess Zhenguo to show mercy and spare my son’s life! After Wang Jianghai’s death, when I meet the Bai family’s Fourth Master… I will certainly tell Fourth Master that Princess Zhenguo has already repaid his life-saving debt for him.”

Having said this, Wang Jianghai kowtowed heavily once more, the sound of his head striking the ground was loud and extremely solemn. His voice was full of pleading as he begged with red eyes and humble manner: “As long as Princess Zhenguo can save my son, from now on, my son will be at Princess Zhenguo’s disposal!”

“Father!” Young General Wang’s throat choked with emotion.

Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell upon Young General Wang.

When their eyes met, Young General Wang felt that Bai Qingyan’s eyes were terrifyingly cold.

With tears in his eyes, he bit his teeth tightly, unable to bear watching his father suffer humiliation so that he might live, and called out loudly: “Father! Stand up… your son is willing to follow Father to death together! Your son would rather die standing than live kneeling!”

“This Young General Wang doesn’t seem like someone who would be at my disposal.” Bai Qingyan’s voice was cold and stern.

Wang Jianghai quickly raised his hand to press down his son’s head, kowtowing together toward Bai Qingyan: “My son speaks without restraint—I hope Princess Zhenguo will forgive him! Princess Zhenguo, I can have my son swear an oath—if my son cannot serve Princess Zhenguo loyally in this life, then let the souls of my entire Wang family never find peace after death, let our souls suffer endless torment after death, and never be granted reincarnation or release!”

“Father!” Young General Wang’s voice carried extremely heavy sobbing, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. “Why must it come to this! Why must it be like this!”

Wang Jianghai raised his reddened eyes to look deeply at his son once, then looked toward Bai Qingyan: “Princess Zhenguo, Wang is merely an ordinary person in this world, greedy for merit and profit. This rebellion was also an attempt to gain the merit of supporting the dragon. I truly cannot be considered a good person, much less a good son or a good husband! The only thing I can speak of with any pride is… I am still a good father, at least I’ve protected my son’s safety!”

Wang Jianghai spoke these words from the heart, only hoping to move Bai Qingyan’s emotions with his sincerity.

Apart from this jade pendant, he had no other sufficiently weighty bargaining chip to force Bai Qingyan to agree to protect his son’s well-being.

This was also why he had requested the jailer to deliver the jade pendant to Princess Zhenguo, yet dared not directly reveal from the beginning that this was something given to him by the Bai family’s Fourth Master during the Northern Border War years ago.

Because the Bai family’s Fourth Master’s remains had not been returned to the capital, the Bai family would certainly harbor hope and would certainly come to the prison to inquire about news of the Bai family’s Fourth Master.